Somewhere to Belong...DNF...Review

About the book:
Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa, she resists. Under the strictures of the Amana villages, Berta's rebellion reaches new heights. Will her heart ever be content among the plain people of Amana?

I tried.  I really tried.  I just couldn't get into this story.  The story was told from alternating perspectives of Johanna and Berta, and each perspective was first person.  For me, it was an awkward way of writing.  I don't care for first person in the best of situations, and two first-person accounts was too much.  I was not familiar with the Amana communities or their faith and I could not understand it or the desire for communal living.

Thanks to Bethany House for the opportunity to review this book, I wish I could have enjoyed it enough to finish it.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 6/10


1/5 Stars


Comments

  1. Sorry this didn't work for you! It would probably work for me, though - I love 1st person narratives.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment